One more ticket contest tomorrow: 2 for Boston Sunday

Our gracious and generous donor has given us another pair of tickets to give away, so we’ll have another contest tomorrow. The winner will get two tickets to the April 1 game against Boston at Madison Square Garden.

This is new!!!!: Don’t use NYR or Blueshirts or Min or Minny or Wilds or Wildebeasts or anything other than Rangers and Wild when you make your pick. Don’t use abbreviations, nicknames, colons, dashes or semicolons or any other punctuation between the team name and the score. Just keep it very, very simple and do it exactly like this:

Rangers 17, Wild 1.

If there is anything other than the name of the team then a space then the score, as shown here, you may be disqualified. Then add your tiebreakers.

It just makes it much easier for me to scroll through all the entries that way. Thank you.

2) The score of the game must be exact. Not closest. Not margin of victory. You must have the exact score to move on to the tiebreakers, if needed. Note that the game-winning goal is the goal that provides the margin of victory, whether it be the second goal in a 17-1 game, or an overtime or (God forbid) winning shootout goal.

The Rangers’ shots tiebreaker shall go to the closest prediction without going over. If contestants are still tied, the Wild shots tiebreaker shall be used, and also will go to the closest prediction without going over. If all remaining contestants are over the number of Wild shots, the contestant closest to the correct total wins.

Finally, if still somehow tied — or if nobody picks the exact final score — I will either give the tickets to Sally again or flip a coin at Blog HQ.

3) The most important rules regarding entry into the contest: DO NOT EVEN DREAM ABOUT ENTERING MORE THAN ONCE. I will check IP addresses from any entrant whose screen name I do not recognize. Entries open when the Tuesday morning post goes up, usually before 5 a.m., and will close when the It’s Go Time! post goes up shortly after 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Only entries in the morning post Tuesday will count. In other words, don’t put your predictions in any other thread.

4) Don’t get me aggravated with dumb questions or details.

5) *-The judge’s decision on all issues will be final. (*-I am the judge).

Good luck, and have fun. And don’t make your pick until tomorrow’s pre-game notes thread.

88 Comments

Well. as usual you folks have said it all…nothing left to say. Saw the monstrous Orlando stadium come down in a huge crush of concrete, dust and general debris. It always seems sad when a great building comes down,especially one like this that it seem like only a few months ago that it was erected with such high hopes and pride. Still don’t know why they took it down, but that’s progress…..I guess.

reminds me of when we used to mail-order for Grateful Dead tickets. You had to use a very specific size of index card, and write exactly the information they told you to on it, in a very precise envelope size, and the return postage on your SASE had to be the exact amount the tickets would cost to ship which they told you ahead of time. The most thorough exercise in obsessive-compulsive behavior for the band that would seem the complete opposite of that.

I think Brooks missed the whole Del Zotto getting demoted last year and Torts yelling at him to almost bring him to the verge of tears. But don’t let that get in the way of a good “stir the pot” story Larry.

That’s true. I like the little guy. I really thought he was only injury prone in the AHL. Too bad really what happened to him. I am sure he will get an offer elsewhere. If Christensen can be an NHL player….

Ahh, so the inevitable fall out of first place to the Penguins is delayed about 72 hours. We weren’t any good at Toronto. Hank is not playing like he was around the all star break. And as for our defensive “system”. Ha ha ha. We’ve given up like 4 goals a game since February. When is Torts going to roll 4 lines, in the first round of the playoffs?

The answer is, what will our strategy be for the last 8 games? To win the East, or to be healthier for the playoffs. I say forget playing like 1st place is the only goal here and start playing like a longer run in the playoffs in the priority. We’re like 25th in the league in Faceoffs and about last in PP. Our defense is in relative shambles since February, when we have given up about 3.5 goals per game. With all the injuries and worn out folks (Girardi and not-nearly-back-to-100% Stick-checking Staal), lack of secondary scoring (see Dubi, Artie, Boyle, Stepan, and everybody else but Hagelin), I just don’t see us surviving two physical 7 game series in the East, especially if Pitt is one of them.

To me, the answer is reuniting GAS, putting Hagelin and Richards with Callahan, using Dubi only in a checking role with Boyle and Prust, and using Fedotenko, Mitchell, and Rupp as sparingly as possible.

I understand the concerns. But I doubt that rolling 4 lines will change any of that. Even if Torts gives the 4th line like 10 minutes a game, which is about the max ice time that any coach in the leaguge gives his 4th line, that’s not really alleviating or fixing anything with the lack of secondary scoring or the pourous D.

I caught a little of behind the bench from saturday night, and it sounds to me like torts really wants to get rupp MORE ice time during games, especially the playoffs, but I think the knee is a bit of an issue still

CT, right, rolling 4 lines probably won’t offer enough rest to our wounded at this point. But it seems Torts has only been rolling our top 2 lines in the 3rd when down by 2 lately (which we’ve generally been down by). I don’t understand that tactic. And I love Torts as a coach. Just sayin.

Poor guys, I feel badly for them at this point. They’re trying desperately. What’s the word on Krieder coming in like a beast immediately? Seems like a long shot in the least. We get down a goal or two, and we can’t break down a trap (see ottawa and buffalo).

Zubov – I understand what you are saying about resting the wounded and etc…but these guys are built to play an entire season. I think taking your foot off the gas is the worst option because then if you lose you look worse. Not making excuses I just think the best strategy is to power through it and find your second wind and then turn it up another gear in the playoffs.

Good Morning Fella’s. Tough week in the land of the Sioux!!! Almost to the Frozen Four, but it wasn’t meant to be. Down 7 forwards from the start of the year, and one short of 18 on the bench this weekend.

Let’s hope Kreider takes his team to another Championship!!!

Carp – your thoughts on Kreider playing for the Rangers in the playoffs this year?

oleo, you are mistaken. Hagelin-Richards-Callahan was working well before Callahan got hurt. Look at their numbers going back to February 11 through Februrary 27 when Callahan got hurt.

Over those nine games, here’s what GAS and HRC did:

Hagelin-Richards-Callahan: G 11, A 12

GAS: G 8, A 9

GAS stayed together for a couple of games with Dubi up in Callahan’s spot and then Callahan tried to tough out his foot injury for a few games. Once Callahan went out again, Richards and Hagelin were partnered with Gaborik. Here is that line’s numbers, as well as the combined totals for the remaining 10 forwards (including MZA):

HRG: G 13, A 19

Everyone else: G 11, A 12

It’s too top heavy. We are too easy to defend against when we have only one legitimate scoring line. And the Argument that Richards is finally going is a false argument because he was starting to get his butt into gear with Hagelin and Callahan just fine.

Have to disagree with Brooks’ article today regarding Dubi benchings. I think he’s forgotten (omitted) that Gaborik, Richards, Boyle, Prust, Hagelin, Stepan, etc. have all been benched at some point this year for poor play/missed assignments. Not to mention the specific example of MDZ…is he forgetting that he spent all of last season in the minors?

a lot of Callahan’s goals in that span came from the PP, not 5 on 5. Richards and Callahan are complete opposites just like Gomez and Jagr

Callahan has restricted Richards all season and it was that injury that finally showed that Richards is still a great playmaker. It is almost impossible for Richards to create when Callahan is doing is thing on the boards.

Richards needs guys who play a less physical game as Richards can’t do the things Callahan can and vice versa.

Manny, last I checked we were actually 3-2, with one win in the BCATHGE. But over the last 20, only 10-8-2. They gave up 4 or more in 7 of those losses (including one of the OTLs), were shutout in another, and gave up 3 goals in the remaining 2 (including a BCATGHE loss to the Islanders).

They haven’t played well since the All-Star Break. At first, Lundqvist was able to cover up a lot of their mistakes. In early February I said that the outcomes ofa few games would have been different if the goaltenders were switched (Philly 2X, Boston, Washington). Now Lundqvist isn’t stealing games and the team is being exposed.

oleo, a lot of Richards and Gaborik’s goals since they were put on the same line came on the PP. I’ve discounted them both so as to balance out Callahan. Plus, MZA’s PP numbers get added in to the “everybody else” stat and the numbers are still pathetic. Stepan and Anisimov have combined for 2 goals and 3 assists since being removed from Gaborik.

As for Callahan’s PP goals, he still had 4 goals in those 9 games at even strength. That’s a 36 goal pace on the season. So, in other words, things were working fine with Richards and Hagelin.

You’re right that their play slipped. I am not completely concerned about it (at least right now sitting at my desk) because I really think that if the all star break made their play slip then the change to playoffs can equally raise their game.

Nobody has restricted Richards this season but Richards. It’s like saying last season that Gaborik needed a true center to be effective, even though he scored 40 goals a year prior to that using a rotating cast of Erik Christensen, Vinny Prospal, and Derek Stepan. Richards’ poor play was on nobody but Richards. He is playing better now which is why things are working well with Gaborik now, unlike at the beginning of the season when they didn’t work together. It’s all on Richards’ own play.

LW, neither am I. That’s the whole point. Gaborik’s dropoff last year wasn’t due to a lack of a “True #1 Center.” It was just him not playing all that well. He scored 40 by himself two years ago and didn’t need a “True #1 Center” to approach 40 again this year. Last year was just him being bad, period.

You have watched the games right and not simply looked at the box score. Outside of the NJ game, Richards and Gaborik (and Hagelin) have been dominant since they have been put together. The goal against Toronto was one of the best goals of the season.

Callahan hasn’t scored much but he is still generating offense like he always does. The problem is Anisimov is disappearing again late in the season and Stepan has picked it up after a long stretch.

If the rangers traded Hank to the preds for pecker rinne and then brought up chad’s johnson to backup – that would be some serious packages in net for the rangers – not many team would go near our crease with a pecker and a johnson in goal. The only thing better would be to trade torts for mike babs’cock to be our new coach

The one common denominator in all those lines that worked well has been Hagelin. He has been outstanding in this his shortened rookie season. I think in the last couple of games though he is looking a little like he hit Tue wall. He is probably not used to this many games yet and hopefully he gains a second wind.

Also no one should discount Andrew Yogan. He had a great season juniors this year and played very well in his limited time in the AHL last year. I was also impressed by him in the prospect tournament. I think he may be one to watch.

oleo, they are a good line, no question, but they are the only threat. Nobody else is scoring. Split them up, give us two lines to score with. Big deal, they scored a couple of nice goals against Toronto. It’s TORONTO. Even Dubinsky scored on them!

How did the team’s offense (and specifically Gaborik and Richards together) do against Buffalo? Or Detroit? Or Colorado? Or Pittsburgh? Or Chicago?

Sure, Gaborik and Richards got some points together (both goals against Pittsburgh), but name one game against a playoff-level team (ie, not Hurricanes, Islanders, or Leafs) since Richards and Gaborik were reunited consistently (not just for a change mid-game) where Gabby and/or Richards had an ES goal and any other player on the team had a goal too. I’ll save you the trouble of looking, it’s only happened once, against Chicago.

Sioux, I don’t see it happening. Maybe if there are other injuries. But Kreider will not be able to play any regular season games with the Rangers and you don’t throw a college kid right into the Stanley Cup playoffs. And this coach is obviously comfortable with and loyal to the pieces he has here.

CTO, you’re right about Hagelin, but I’m not impressed with Yogan. He was a man among boys, relatively speaking, in terms of development this year in juniors and his numbers still weren’t that impressive. He was good during his couple of AHL games last year, but I’m thinking career AHLer out of him. Which is fine. You always need solid AHL players to help develop the actual prospects.

LW, you’re right about two years ago. My mistake. If anything, that should support my argument even more. Stepan had to be better than whomever else he was getting at that time. Who did he even start the season with? Still got 40 goals.

oleo, I’m not buying the “he needs a #1 winger” argument, at all. Did you see his end to end PP goal a couple of games ago? Or the OT winner he had when his linemate was Anisimov? Plus, as I have already shown you, things were going just fine with Hagelin and Callahan. The only thing that has gotten Richards going is Richards. Bottom line, end of story. Split him and Gaborik up and make the team more of a consistent offensive threat.

Richards and Callahan ONLY worked because of Hagelin but Hagelin has slowed down as expected so then it would revert back to where Richards was struggling to put up points.

Richards has been on fire this month. Same with Gaborik. You don’t break them up especially when offense hasn’t been the problem. We have been scoring goals at a much higher level than we did in previous months. The problem has been the defense and goaltending giving up 3+ goals with regularity.

it’s late and none of you boneheads are here, so i will repost this tomorrow, but we knocked the number one seed out of the playoffs tonight, 5-0, I SCORED A GOAL, and we are on to the best of three finals tomorrow night!